Ice Cube
Dress Code (Remix)
[Verse 1: WC]
You know what's makin' me mad?
Day after day I'm catchin' all of this slack
It seems you gotta wear a suit, unlesss you wanna jacked
'Cause in the '90s, y'all, these fools got it set up and thangs
Where if you ain't wearin' a three-piece suit, you gotta gangbang
I walked in a rest', 'bout to order, and
People starin' like a had manure on my pants
Grabbin' they purse, checkin' they wallets in the back
And thinkin' I'ma rob 'em, 'cause I'm in all black
Yo, my Curduroys are cuffed with a crease down the middle
Snakeskin around my waist, so my pants hang a little
But I don't deal the package of crack
So what's the reason for the dirty looks?
Yo, check my name in your books
Seem like every time I slap on my Starter cap
And step for a breath of fresh air
I end up fillin' out a questionnaire
'What's your name?' 'Where you goin?' 'Yo, what gang are you from?'
They tell me, "Don't get smart," and so I play dumb
'Cause when I tell 'em where I stay, it doesn't get better
Live in South Central, they assume you got a jail record
A stereotypical attitude
That if you look like me, you gotta run with a crew
'Cause when I step up on the scene everybody's gettin' petrol
No matter what the color (What's up?)
I'm gettin' sweated for my dress code
[Interlude]
("What they do?")
("Wear a shirt and tie and run with the creeps")
("That's why") ("They dress just like") ("Suckers")
("Huh?") ("Suckers") ("What?") ("Suckers")

[Verse 2]
[WC]
What is this, a prison? I'm buggin' off the way that I'm livin'
Seems everywhere I turn I'm assumin' the position
At school I'm gettin' tired of hearin' the same old thing
Here come the rinky-dink security, sweatin' me for my earring
I don't carry a gun, though they consider me a threat
I guess I got 'em scared by the way that I dress
Unlike you, I couldn't afford to shop at Macy's or Penney's
So it's off to the swap meet for a fresh pair of Dickey's
So what you're tellin' me is now I'm a crook
Who wrote the book on how a kid in my position's supposed to look?

[Coolio]
Yo, give me a fade and a pair of tight pants
I get a chance with the girls who wouldn't give me a glance
A big funny lookin' hat just to cover my naps
A pair of patent leather shoes might keep me out of scraps
If I made that turn, it might save me some trouble
But I gotta watch my back and be alert for a squabble
'Don't go here, don't go there,' brothers comin' up missin'
Got a pocket full of money, and I'm still getttin' dissed
Is this a scam or a phase of my life that I'm goin' through?
If you dress like me, you gotta run with a crew
And now I'm tickin' like a timebomb, ready to explode
Even in my front yard (What's up?)
I'm gettin' sweated for my dress code
[Interlude]
Alright, fellas
No tennis shoes, no hats, no khakis, alright?

[Verse 3: WC & Coolio]
Let's take a trip to the club scene
Yeah, and take a look at what's goin' on
You gotta wear a silk shirt just to dance to a funky song
Bouncers makin' enemies for minimum wage
But they're the first ones to run when the club gets sprayed
Don't wanna let me in because I'm wearin' my beeper
And if you're sportin' gold, then you gotta be a dope dealer
Check this out, I paid 17.50 to hear a funky rhyme flow
And they're sweatin' on the door like I just entered a fashion show
Yo, they put a curfew on Westwood to keep me in my neighborhood
My hat's to the back, so I must be up to no good
I got a jacket on my back for the fact that I rap
And they heard I was from Compton, so they wearin' they panic cap
Scared of me for what, no, I don't wear tux
And if I ever got a Grammy, y'all, I'd bail in some Chuck Taylors
To show the whole world it's alright to be yourself
Should I change the way I dress so I can look like the rest? (Nope)
Wearin' red, black and green, but they don't know what it means
Put on a African medallion, now they're down with the team
Perpetratin' for a clique, first they wouldn't, now they switched
But they ain't gettin' rich (Man, ain't that a...?)
Go strike a GQ pose, I got soul in my stroll
So they ban my video (For what?)
'Cause they didn't like my dress code
[Outro]
("What they do?")
("Wear a shirt and tie and run with the creeps")
("That's why") ("They dress just like") ("Suckers")
("Huh?") ("Suckers") ("What?") ("Suckers")
("What, what they, what they do?")
("What, what they, what they do?")